


red and green

by fantalaimon



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Christmas Fluff, Gen, Identity Porn, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-23
Updated: 2016-12-23
Packaged: 2018-09-11 08:48:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8972647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fantalaimon/pseuds/fantalaimon
Summary: The Flash’s first meeting with the Starling City Vigilante features a sharp-toothed Santa, robotic elves, and Captain Cold shooting indiscriminately at both the heroes and villains while cheerfully shouting the lyrics to Winter Wonderland.
It is a weird, weird day, but Barry tries to maintain an air of professionalism. The Vigilante is completely collected throughout the whole affair, looking disgruntled more than anything else.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea what the timeline is supposed to be here. Canon and chronology come second to my whims, apparently. The major point is that it's an AU where Oliver and Barry meet post-Flash, and hopefully that's enough to get you through the fic. Thanks for reading!

The Flash’s first meeting with the Starling City Vigilante features a sharp-toothed Santa, robotic elves, and Captain Cold shooting indiscriminately at both the heroes _and_ villains while cheerfully shouting the lyrics to Winter Wonderland.

It is a weird, weird day, but Barry tries to maintain an air of professionalism. The Vigilante is completely collected throughout the whole affair, looking disgruntled more than anything else.

“Playing it cool for the new boy, Scarlet?” Cold asks, encasing one of the elves in ice and watching it short-circuit before turning the gun on Barry. “I have to say, I’m feeling a little jealous.”

“Snart, could you _please_ just go home?” Barry pleads, trying to keep most of the whine out of his voice. "Or at least decide which side you’re on?”

“I’m on my own side.”

“I suggest revising that stance,” the Vigilante growls before shooting an arrow right past Cold’s ear to collide with one of the elves’ battery packs. The elf falls, sparking.

Snart doesn’t even flinch. “Are you threatening me, Hood?”

“Is that not obvious?” the Vigilante asks as he looses arrow after arrow at Evil Santa. "Are all of your enemies this _stupid_ , Flash?”

Barry’s not sure whether to be amused or insulted by that, so he opts instead to speed around to deal with the last of the robots while the Vigilante keeps Santa occupied. He thinks he looks pretty awesome doing it, but the Vigilante has already taken out their meta by the time Barry is finished with the elves, which kind of lessens the impact.

“Wow, um, thanks for your help,” Barry says to the Vigilante, after. He knows he’s gone a little starry-eyed, but maybe the mask covers it. He can hope so, anyway.

“Your abilities are… impressive,” the Vigilante says, looking at Barry like he’s sizing him up. “It was interesting working with you.”

“What, I don’t get a thank you?” Snart asks, then takes a potshot at the two of them because he just _has_ to be like that, apparently.

He gets an arrow to the leg for his trouble. “Him,” the Vigilante says, through what sounds like gritted teeth, “I could have done without.”

It turns into a whole thing, and Barry ends up having to whisk the Vigilante away before he grievously injures Snart (which might violate Barry’s deal with the man re: the secrecy of his identity and generally just feels unheroic) or Snart grievously injures him (which would probably leave the Vigilante with less than fond feelings about this whole team up and also just suck).

“What the _hell_ ,” the Vigilante snaps when Barry sets him down outside STAR Labs.

“Sorry,” Barry says, wilting a little. “It’s just usually better not to indulge Cold, when it can be avoided. It really only encourages him, I think.”

Even through the hood and greasepaint, the Vigilante looks skeptical. “Shooting him full of arrows _encourages_ him?”

“I mean, it’s probably not the deterrent you’d expect it to be, at least. Most things aren’t.”

The Vigilante just frowns at that, and Barry tries to keep himself from fidgeting.

“Well,” the Vigilante says finally, stowing his bow, “it seems like you’re doing good work here, despite the lack of discipline.”

“Hey!”

“You’ll get there, I’m sure,” the Vigilante says in a way that still comes off more condescending than reassuring. He seems to be making an effort, though, so Barry is willing to cut him some slack.

“I _have_ been training a lot,” Barry admits, offering a slight smile.

The Vigilante stares at him for a minute, then just turns and starts walking away without a word.

“Hey!” Barry says, speeding over to fall in step with the other man. “What are you doing in Central, anyway? Can I help you with whatever it is? We made a pretty good team against Krampus, right? I’ve been wanting to meet you _forever_ , you know. You were actually kind of my insp—”

“I don’t need your help,” the Vigilante cuts in, voice hard.

“Oh,” Barry says, looking away. “Right. Sorry.”

The Vigilante huffs. “Don’t look so heartbroken. If there were something I could use you for, I would.”

“Oh!” Barry beams. “Thanks.”

The Vigilante shoots him a look. “Stop following me now.”

“Right, okay, sorry,” Barry says, stopping in his tracks. “Goodnight?”

The Vigilante just grunts and keeps walking, not turning around. Barry smiles at his back before running back inside to Caitlin and Cisco.

*

“Oh, hey! Red and green!” Barry grins at the Arrow, gesturing between the two of them. “Christmas colors! I didn’t notice the first time.”

Arrow looks at him like he’s an idiot. “That’s what you’re focusing on right now?”

“Oh, come on, we can handle this guy.”

“You deal with a lot of abominable snowmen, Flash?”

“I’m pretty sure the scientific term is _yeti_ , and no, but I’m excited.”

“You would be excited about this, you goddamn UFO chaser,” Arrow grumbles, and Barry graciously pretends not to hear.

“Anyway, it’s cool, right? Christmas is, like, _our_ holiday. We met around this time last year, remember?”

“I remember,” Arrow says, just before he has to roll out of the yeti’s way, shooting arrows as he does.

“Our teams should do a Secret Santa or something. _Super_ secret.”

“I think we got enough of Santa last year to last a lifetime,” the Arrow says, a ghost of a smile flickering across his face before it returns to a scowl as he starts scaling buildings for a better vantage point. Barry distracts the yeti with a whirl of lightning while the Arrow climbs.

In the end, they only chase it off and don’t manage to actually capture the thing, which both Barry and Cisco are fairly devastated about.

“Don’t pout,” Arrow says, elbowing Barry. “It may be cute enough on you, but it’s unbecoming for a superhero.”

Barry cracked a smile at that. “You think I’m cute, Arrow?”

“Don’t get a big head over it. I’ve never seen you unmasked, so it could just be the suit.”

“Now you’re just giving my engineer a big head.”

“Well, in that case, maybe you should take off the cowl.”

Arrow’s voice is light and teasing, but it’s... tempting. Barry has never really liked keeping secrets, and, across a handful of team-ups over the past year, he’s come to realize that he _does_ really like the Arrow.

As well as he can when they don't even know each other’s actual names, that is. And therein lies the problem.

And the temptation.

However, Barry has enough experience with unrequited feelings of all kinds to smell them a mile off, so he just eyes the mask that has obscured his friend’s features ever since their first encounter, and says, “You first.”

Arrow snorts like they’re really just sharing an old joke, like he can’t feel any of the tension that Barry can practically _hear_ thrumming in the air between them, and neither of them makes a move.

*

When Green Arrow _finally_ introduces himself properly, all Barry can think to say is, “Well, now I feel stupid.”

Oliver Queen frowns, mask held loosely in front of his chest, almost like an offering. Barry supposes that _is_ what this is, really: Oliver’s gift to him.

His heart flutters a little at the thought.

“That’s not really the reaction I was hoping for,” Oliver says. “Or expecting.”

Barry laughs without much mirth. “Sorry, it’s just--of _course_ you’re Oliver Queen. How could I possibly have expected you to be someone normal?”

“Barry, I run around at night in a green hoodie and mask, shooting bad guys with arrows. Compared to the version of me you’ve known this whole time, Oliver Queen _is_ normal.”

“No,” Barry says, shaking his head. “Oliver Queen is _rich_.”

Oliver’s hands tighten around his mask, pulling back slightly against his chest. “Is that... a problem?”

“Yes!”

“I see,” Oliver says, stiffly. “Well, I apologize for making you uncomfortable.”

Barry blinks. “What--no, Ollie, not like that. You’re rich, awesome. I’m happy for you. I just feel kind of, um… out of my league?”

Oliver’s gaze softens, just a little. Two years ago, Barry wouldn’t have noticed the change, but, here and now, the warmth in Oliver’s eyes seems nearly enough to set Barry alight. “I’d count myself lucky to be included in any league that has you as a member, Flash.”

“Well, in that case,” Barry says, fully aware the he is probably blushing, “I guess I might as well give you your present, after all. Don’t laugh, okay? We’re not all bajillionaires.”

“Technically, neither am I, since that’s not a real number,” Oliver points out, and just grins at the scowl it earns him. “I’m not going to laugh, Barry.”

Barry continues pouting, but he does present Oliver with the small box--done up with a green bow, of course--that he’s done his best to keep concealed.

Oliver looks at the gift in open bemusement, but he accepts it from Barry, untying the ribbon with care. His eyebrows shoot up when he opens the box. “Barry, this is…”

“Too tacky?” Barry asks, unable to stop himself from wincing a little.

“Amazing,” Oliver says, voice firm as he carefully removes the jade arrowhead from its wrapping, cradling it in his hand like something far more valuable than what Barry paid for it. “I love it. Thank you.”

Barry lets out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “No problem.”

Oliver frowns. “I should have gotten you something.”

“Your trust and friendship are the greatest gift I could ever hope for,” Barry says, clapping Oliver on the shoulder. His voice is teasing, but there’s an undercurrent of honesty to his words that he thinks Oliver will recognize.

Oliver’s eyes are thoughtful as they slide to Barry’s hand on his arm. 

“I don’t know, Barry,” he says, voice dropping into a lower register as he leans closer into the space between them. “I think I can do you one better than that.”


End file.
